


Things We Lost in the Fire

by noahliza



Category: Promare (2019)
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Communication, Light Angst, M/M, Post-Canon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-13
Updated: 2020-05-07
Packaged: 2021-02-26 04:21:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 8,457
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21777454
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/noahliza/pseuds/noahliza
Summary: Things are regaining a bit of normalcy as Promepolis recovers, but Lio is struggling to adjust. Galo just wants to help, but nothing he does feels like it's working.
Relationships: Lio Fotia/Galo Thymos
Comments: 14
Kudos: 171





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> hello! i started writing this after my first viewing, but was a bit too nervous to post until after i saw redux showings ^^; 
> 
> partly inspired by koori wo tojikomote's lyrics.
> 
> title is a song by bastille  
> -Do you understand that we will never be the same again  
> The future's in our hands and we will never be the same again-

It’s all over.

This should bring happiness, comfort, at least a tiny scrap of pride. The Burnish were safe - all normal humans now, the world was no longer at risk of destruction. Lio de Galon, or Galo de Lion, whatever - managed to defeat Kray and satisfy the Promare’s desire to burn without destroying everything.

There were moments, really, when Lio was able to feel good about his success. Most of them when Galo was around, some with former Mad Burnish members, some with the other members of Burning Rescue. By force, he was becoming acquainted with them. 

They’d all been very kind, welcoming him into the team with open arms. Despite their kindness, Lio didn’t feel comfortable diving into the new lifestyle. Didn’t feel like he could relax and settle in with these new people. He felt lost - a coldness that had settled in once the excitement over saving the world had faded. Much of Promepolis was still in ruins, even areas that hadn’t dealt with as severe of structural damage still had issues. Essential parts of the city ran on generators, as power outages were common; and many neighborhoods were left without running water due to water mains breaking. 

Still, humanity continued forwards. People quickly set up in camps, those in stable buildings opened their doors to those without, clean water was distributed. 

Before, as a Burnish, everything was a battle. Everything was always at stake, lives on the line. He considered all the Burnish his family, even those he’d barely been able to meet. _Especially_ Meis and Guiera, they truly felt like trusted family members. It was somehow easier while on the run, things just didn’t feel close in the same way they did now. Now that everything was over, being _close_ was the only thing he had to focus on. Being _close_ was overwhelming.

Lio idly wondered if Aina could tell he felt cagey. She’d been much more laid-back with him than the others had. Kept a bit more distance. Lio also couldn’t help but wonder if that had anything to do with her sister. He’d overheard that she was one of the scientists that made the Promatech Engines that had nearly killed all the Burnish - nearly killed the entire planet. He hadn’t met her yet, and wondered if there was a specific reason why.

Were they trying to spare his feelings, because of her work? Did they think he would hate her - _he might_ \- and do something to harm her? Do they not trust-

“Lio, you alive over there?” Galo’s boisterous voice snapped Lio back to the present. He quickly oriented himself, remembered where he was. Laying on the couch. Right. 

“No, I died.” 

“That’s too bad, the dead can’t have pizza!” Lucia’s voice teased from somewhere farther away in the room.

Lio jolted up into a sitting position. The pizza smelled really good, and he hadn’t eaten much today.

“He’s alive!” Galo whooped. “Welcome back, man!”

Lio bit back a scowl, feeling much more tense than he should. Much more than he wanted. He rose from the couch and walked to the table, aiming for - hopefully achieving - a relaxed demeanor.

“Where’d you manage to get _takeout_ ?” Lio asked, surprised at how _normal_ a meal this was.

“Oh, we know a guy.” Lucia’s mouth twisted up into a mischievous grin. 

“Mm.” Lio left it at that. The more time he spent around her, the more he saw that she was always like that - always seemed like she was up to something. Maybe she was. Lio hadn’t tried to look too hard into it yet.

Galo quickly scooped Lio into a one-armed side hug, his other arm occupied with carrying pizza boxes. Galo felt warm and safe - unfamiliar, overwhelming feelings. Lio let Galo hold on for a long moment; before everyone else stampeded into the room and turned it into a free-for-all.

He managed to slip away without much fuss and eat dinner in relative peace, though the chaos of Burning Rescue’s meal was just half a room away. 

Lio quietly left Burning Rescue's HQ, under the dark of night. He was thankful for everyone letting him stay there while Promepolis was rebuilt, but he just couldn't get used to it. He still wasn't used to being indoors somewhere that wasn't falling apart, still wasn't used to having these new people around so often. It was overwhelming.

He wandered through the partly-destroyed city, trying to suppress the feeling of smug satisfaction that rose in him. After all, Promepolis was built because of the Burnish - to use and destroy them. 

But in the end, it wasn't the city's fault, it wasn't the population's fault; the fault all lay with Kray Foresight and those who worked under him. 

Lio grew weary, emotionally drained at the thought of it. 

The fate they'd barely escaped. 

He forced himself away from the topic & realized he'd walked much farther than intended. Up above, a tall chunk of building stood, rubble holding it up on the sides. 

Lio stared up to the top of it, and decided to climb. 

He moved slowly at first, unsure of how stable the whole mess was, but soon found his footing and quickly scaled it. He felt better up top, adrenaline pumping and wind flowing through his hair. Something he hadn't felt since he'd lost his flame. 

He felt more like himself. 

Lio sat on the top of the structure until it was almost sunrise, before reminding himself that Galo may worry if he woke up and didn't know where Lio was. Getting down was rougher than climbing up. He lost his footing more often, slid down larger chunks of concrete. He ended up with many scrapes and probably a few bruises, and was covered in concrete dust. 

So much for not worrying Galo. Lio scowled as he brushed dust off himself, tried to get clean as much as he could before running back to Burning Rescue. He managed to make it back with only a few minutes to spare until everyone else woke up. 

Lio hurried into the bathroom and tossed his clothes in the hamper, then let himself slow down and take his time in the shower, making sure there was no more dust - no evidence of his impulsive climb. 

A knock on the door. 

"Almost done in there?" Galo's voice. 

"Yeah!"

Lio finished drying himself and quickly dressed, just in time for Galo to barge in. 

"Great, 'cause I really gotta- Hey, Lio?" Galo interrupted himself, studying Lio' s face closely. 

"Yeah?" Lio stood his ground, more nervous than he felt he should be. 

"What happened to your cheek?" Galo tapped his own. "You've got a huge scratch or something." 

"Huh?" Lio gently touched his cheek, guided by Galo's gesture. It hurt a bit, and Lio looked in the mirror. It was definitely fresh, definitely from his clumsy descent earlier. "Oh, I must have gotten it yesterday or something? I dunno." He shrugged noncommittally.

“Did you disinfect it?” 

“Oh, I don’t think so..? I probably forgot.” 

“Lio! You should be more careful.” Galo briefly pouted, then dug through the bathroom cabinet. He turned back around, brandishing a tube of ointment. “Here we go!”

Galo squeezed a bit of ointment onto his finger, and gently spread it onto the scratch. Lio braced himself for the touch as much as he leaned into it. 

Comforting. Overwhelming.

“Thanks,” Lio offered a soft smile, feeling guilty for being dishonest.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> late nite chapter! i hope everyone's holidays are going well <3
> 
> i spent christmas day being exhausted because i watched part of trigger's art stream. was anyone else there? :) 
> 
> it was...very cozy! lots of fun. kfc means something new now, lol.

Lio walked beside Galo through the markets. Everyone who still had things they could sell had come together in making small shops from tarps, planks of wood, tents, anything they could scavenge from the ruined parts of the city. Even though he’d experienced it himself, it was still amazing to see how quickly people were able to adapt, to create a new ‘normal’.

The markets were bustling, packed with people buying and trading — mostly necessities. Things didn’t have quite enough normalcy for ‘wants’ yet. It was strange, but nice to be a part of it; just another person in the crowd. 

Lio realized he’d started to fall slightly behind, and his chest felt a bit tight. Galo’s longer strides were difficult to keep up with without walking faster than his natural pace. He hurried, catching up pretty easily.

Galo glanced down at him as he caught up and smiled warmly. "Something catch your eye?" 

"Oh, no." Lio shook his head. "Just thinking. It's… Nice to see how quickly people get back to business as usual." 

"Yeah, it's pretty cool!" Galo agreed. "People are pretty strong at heart, huh!" 

"Yeah, definitely." Lio smiled. 

"So, were you okay with soup for dinner, tonight? Remy said he could get us some bread to go with it. I know it's pretty simple, but, y'know." 

"Oh, yeah, that should be fine." Lio nodded, only half-listening as he took in their surroundings. 

He was glad to be with Galo, it was much easier getting through a crowd with someone as big and loud as he is. They were able to simply just… walk through. 

It was novel for two reasons, really. Before Lio had been reborn as a Burnish, he had to duck and weave his way through crowds — a downside of his small frame. After, crowds weren't an issue he had to deal with. He'd been spirited away — saved — by Mad Burnish before he had been able to fully realize what was going on. 

He stuck around for a time, going out with them on occasion; then went his own way. His flame was stronger, and he’d worried that his presence would mark a larger target on everyone else as well. 

After that he was alone for a long time, until he rejoined as the leader of Mad Burnish. 

"You listening?" Galo nudged Lio's shoulder. 

"Oh, sorry." Lio smiled apologetically. "I'm a bit distracted." 

"No worries, I was just sayin' that I'm gonna grab some fruits, too, if I can find anyone selling any." 

"Sounds good." Lio nodded. 

He tried to focus on keeping close to Galo, but was quickly distracted by a group of little kids running around and playing excitedly. He smiled fondly at them, glad to see this bit of joy.

It was amazing how quickly children could adjust to anything. As long as the grownups were able to gain a bit of normalcy, kids could feel right at home in their new situation. It was how it should be, really. Adults were better equipped to shoulder the stresses of picking up the pieces. 

Galo seemed like the type who was good with kids, so Lio looked forward, wanting to show him. 

Galo wasn't in front of him. 

Lio's chest tightened, nerves fraying.

He turned in place, looking around wildly. Trying to locate Galo in the crowd. 

_ Really, it should be easy to find a jacked, tall guy with blue hair… Where is he? Where?  _

Lio's chest hurt, his heart pounding wildly. He started through the crowd, dodging and weaving around. 

_ Where's Galo. I can't find Galo. Please. Galo. Please. Where are you?  _

Lio ran into someone. "Sorry." He mumbled, then looked up. He'd ran into a rather broad man with an angry face. 

"Oh, are ya?" The man grabbed Lio's arm. “Hey, I recognize you! You were that terrori-”

Lio lashed out on instinct, kicking the man in the stomach. He doubled over and his grip loosened — Lio quickly slipped his arm out of the man’s grasp and ran away.

He ran until there were no more shops, no more crowds, no more people around. Confident that he was totally alone, he plopped tiredly down in an alley, hidden behind a pile of rubble. 

Still, he couldn't relax here. 

On high alert despite his exhaustion, Lio sat tensely — ready to bail at a moment's notice. Some part of him realized this probably wasn't necessary, but most of him was coiled tight. Ready to go. 

He realized it felt like being on the run again, and tried to calm himself down. Reminded himself that he's safe, he's not being hunted down, he's-

alone. 

Panic flared through Lio's veins once again as the source of this whole situation surfaced again in his mind.  _ Galo. I’ve got to find him. _

_ Did Galo realize I got separated from him? Is he worried? Would he look for me?  _

Lio got up and paced, restless and anxious. He could go back and look for Galo himself? He could wait here and hope Galo thought to look past the market? Should he try to walk himself back to Burning Rescue? Or, go back to Galo's motorcycle and wait there? The choices swirled in his mind a while longer, clouding his judgement until he’d tired a bit and was able to calm down more.

The last option seemed the most sensible, so he went with that one. He circled around the markets, not feeling safe enough to walk through them. Even the background noise that spilled from one street to the next had him on edge. It felt like one one of the longest walks he’d been on in his entire life. Longer than his introductory tour of Burning Rescue HQ, back when he thought all the members hated him for being Burnish. Longer than walking down the halls to see his parents after getting caught doing ‘hoodlum activities’ riding his motorcycle. Longer than the walk through the Burnish Detainment Facility. 

Not soon enough, Lio found Galo's motorcycle. They'd parked a distance from the markets, to try and keep it out of sight. Just in case. Looting and theft hadn’t been a huge issue, but they were still an occurrence. 

Lio waited. He felt like he could dive into Galo's arms the moment he saw him. He felt a bit more calm near the motorcycle, but anxiety still bubbled inside. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> wip title for this chapter: panic! at the market


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> yeehaw i'm back, baby!!! lost my way with this one for a bit, but i've found it again :')

"Oh, thank god!" Galo's voice startled Lio back into reality. "I was kinda freakin' out, I thought something happened to you!" 

"I'm alright." Lio smiled, relieved. He wasn’t sure how much time had passed since he’d started waiting. "I lost you in the crowd, is all. Figured this would be the easiest place to find you." He figured it was okay to skip over the stressful parts of his explanation.

"Good plan!" Galo nodded happily. "Now, back to HQ to regroup!" 

Lio blinked owlishly. "I think you just found the dorkiest way possible to phrase that." 

"Whaaat?!" Galo gasped. "It's what we’re doing, though!" 

"I'm not saying it isn't!" Lio laughed. "You're just such an idiot!" 

" _ Your _ idiot." Galo grinned. 

Affection flared up inside Lio’s chest, warming him while also filling him  _ too full _ . He felt like he might burst. 

"Mine, huh?" Lio grinned mischievously back, ignoring the feeling in favor of focusing on how red Galo's face got. 

"Y-yeah! Um, we should head back now! I lucked out and got everything from one stall, so!" 

"You set yourself up for that." Lio smirked. "But yeah, we can head back now."

"I guess I did…" Galo glanced away for a moment. "Anyway, let's go!" 

Galo pulled his motorcycle from its hiding spot and the two got on, Lio's arms around Galo's waist. 

The overwhelming warmth stuck around as they rode back. 

After dinner, Lio headed out to go visit Meis and Gueira. They’d been demanding to see him for a few days now, but things just hadn’t worked out. Former Burnish needed help, Promepolis citizens needed help, the city needed rebuilt. There just wasn’t enough time, most days.

“Boss!” Two voices cried out in excitement.

“Guys!” Lio grinned and hurried his pace, despite his exhaustion. 

“How’s everything been, Lio?” Meis asked. “Everything okay at Burning Rescue?” The question was phrased casually, but there was a seriousness in his tone that Lio recognized.

“Yeah, are any of them giving you trouble?” Gueira added.

Lio felt a surge of warmth at their concern. To hear it almost directly was reassuring. He was no longer their leader, but he was still ‘Boss’ and he was still cared for — even if that care involved unsaid threats to others.

“No, it’s been alright. Everyone’s been welcoming, actually.” 

“Good!” Gueira seemed satisfied with this; and clapped his hand down on Lio’s shoulder, guiding him to walk with them down the sidewalk.

The three chatted on the way to Meis and Gueira’s apartment, Lio asking how former members of Mad Burnish were, how former Burnish were, what exactly Meis and Gueira were doing to help them. They refused to tell him the last part, saying it was best he didn’t know, since he was  _ ‘working alongside the law now’ _ , whatever that meant. Lio pouted a bit, though he understood their hesitance. If they got into trouble, they didn’t want anything to happen to him as well.

They’d always been like that, ever since they took him under their wings. Ever since they’d taught him to form his Burnish armor, taught him to drive like he was soaring.

“You seem tired.” Meis commented as he unlocked the door. 

“Not been sleeping well?” Guiera peered down at Lio’s face. 

“Not really…” Lio admitted.

“Does your lack of sleep have something to do with that cut on your cheek?” Meis asked.

Shame burned at Lio’s face as he followed the two inside their apartment. He wanted to lie. He knew they’d be able to tell if he was, they knew him too well.

“Kinda, yeah. I was out the other night, climbing around rubble and stuff. Fell a few times. It’s no big deal-”

“Are you hurt anywhere else?” Gueira asked, in the same moment that Meis asked, “Did something happen?” The two seemed satisfied that they’d covered the bases.

“Um. Not really, just some scrapes and bruises. Nothing really happened, there’s just…a lot going on.”

“Did you treat any of them? I  _ know  _ you’re not used to needing to do that.” Gueira accused. He was right, though. Since Burnish could regenerate, he’d never needed to worry about infections. Still, he rolled his eyes — knowing he looked like a stubborn teenager being lectured by a parent.

“ _ Lio. _ ” Meis brought out the scolding tone.

“I washed up when I got back to Burning Rescue.” Lio huffed. “Galo put ointment on the one on my face.”

He wished he could take it back when he saw the twin looks on Meis’ and Gueira’s faces.

“I knew it!” Gueira announced smugly. 

“I-it’s not like that!” 

“It’s okay, Lio. We all fall for a loud idiot sooner or later.” Meis tried to comfort him.

“Hey!” Gueira protested, loudly. “I heard that!”

“You were meant to.” Meis smirked. He pulled a chair out, gesturing for Lio to sit at their kitchen table. He wasn’t sure where they’d gotten the furniture, but figured they wouldn’t give him a straight answer.

Lio sank into the chair tiredly and slouched, resting his arms on the table and hiding his face with them.

“That’s not a very proper way to sit, Boss.” Gueira teased. 

“Ha ha.” Lio grumbled. “Anyway, I didn’t fall for him.”

“Did he fall for you?” Meis asked. “Treating someone’s wounds is kind of…”

Lio shot up, posture straight. “You think he did?!”

Meis’ eyebrows rose, but he didn’t make any comments.

Thankfully, neither Meis or Gueira brought Galo up for the rest of the night. They chatted about much more relaxed topics until it got late. Gueira made Lio promise to get some sleep, Meis told him to try and worry less.

Lio said he’d try.

Instead of going home, Lio detoured into a particularly messy area of Promepolis. It was a bit too close to Parnassus for Lio’s comfort, but had anything been truly comfortable…ever?

Lio shook his head, internally scolding himself for being dramatic. He supposed he’d been doing that a lot lately, and wondered when that had started.

He wondered what his family would think of it-  _ Where are they now? Are they all okay? What happened after I left? Did anyone else become Burnish? _

Lio started to climb. 

He pushed the thoughts out of his mind — he had Meis and Gueira now. He had Galo now-

Meis’  _ ‘Did Galo fall for you?’ _ ran through his head.

_ Maybe. _ Lio thought as he pulled himself up, past a bit with no hand or foot-holds.

_ He’s kind. _

Lio continued up.

_ He’s gentle. _

And up.

_ He’s affectionate. _

And up.

Until he reached the top of the building.

He thought of the way Galo spoke to him, touched him, treated him. The way his face turned red when Lio claimed him as  _ ‘my idiot’ _ .

Lio stared up at Parnassus, it’s hulking form blocking much of the sky from view. He couldn’t see Prometh’s Promatech Engine from where he sat, but it was there.

That was it, right? Lio de Galon, Galo de Lion. They’d offered themselves to each other, intertwined with each other. 

Lio curled up with his arms around his legs, hoping the offer was still open.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (into megaphone) listen ok i just feel like meisgueira could have a surrogate parent type thing going on, 
> 
> i have so so so many headcanons about them and lio


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> the brainworms that make me obsessed with promare are hard at work!!
> 
> warning for some minor blood/injury in this chapter!

Before he realized it, Lio had started to exist closer to Galo — the moon revolving around the earth. 

Or perhaps something smaller, an asteroid. A brief streak of fire in his sky of stars.

Galo definitely noticed Lio orbiting more closely. He seemed to welcome it, even. He brought Lio in closer still — quick, gentle touches that became longer, turned to sitting as close to each other as physically possible, turned to timidly sharing a bed, turned to laying together; Lio held close in Galo’s arms.

It was as comfortable as it was strange.

It was as calming as it was stressful.

More actions Lio wasn’t used to — more things Lio had to adjust to. It was hard enough acclimating to being around everyone else.

He hoped he could. He really did.

Still, off and on, Lio still felt smothered.

Living in close quarters like this wasn't something new, really. He'd slept in caves and in abandoned, burnt out stores plenty of times with other Burnish. But the atmosphere, the people made it new. 

Sometimes it was really nice, sometimes he was able to have a good time with everyone between jobs. Sometimes he felt like there wasn't enough oxygen in the room. Sometimes, he was hyper-aware of each presence around him - how close they were, what they were doing, if they were paying attention to what  _ he _ was doing. 

The worst was touch. A tap on the shoulder was something to anticipate and force a normal reaction to. Bumping into someone in the hallway something nerve-wracking. 

Some days, the worst of the worst was Galo. 

Lio disliked it. Hated disliking it, hated having days like this. He wanted to be close to Galo, wanted to cuddle or hold hands or sit practically on top of each other on the couch with Galo's arm slung over Lio's shoulders. He wanted to kiss Galo. 

He wanted these things, but on days like this, affection felt almost like imprisonment. Still, he endured them for Galo’s assumed happiness.

Galo was the cuddliest person Lio had experienced in his life, often wanting even the tiniest bit of physical contact. 

It was endearing, really. Lio thought it over while absentmindedly fiddling with some of Galo's hair. They lay on their sides, Lio against Galo's back.  _ Jetpacking _ , Galo had called it. 

It was pretty nice, really. Definitely more free than when Lio was the  _ little spoon _ . 

“Hey, Lio?” 

“Yeah?”

“We got a call today while you were out, asking to schedule an interview or something with you.” 

A surge of panic jolted through Lio’s body. 

“Oh?” He kept his tone steady, casual.

“Yeah! Word’s been starting to get around, you know. The things Kray did. They’re wanting to interview you about all of that stuff.”

_ ‘All of that stuff.’ _ Lio pulled his hands away from Galo’s hair, not wanting to accidentally yank it.  _ ‘All of that stuff.’ _ How could he say that so casually?

“It’s probably really hard to talk about, since so much has happened to you.” Galo’s tone was more serious now, and Lio understood. 

_ ‘All of that stuff’ _ was to keep the painful details away. 

“I think it could be really great, though!” Galo perked back up. “It would be a really great way to raise awareness, right?”

“Right.” Lio mumbled.

“If everyone knows what really happened, then they’ll understand! They’ll change their attitudes about the Burnish!” Galo looked over his shoulder and grinned at Lio, who smiled feebly back.

It sounded awful. Maybe it was a good idea at heart, maybe not. He thought it over for a long while, until Galo fell asleep. He still wasn’t sure, but, either way, Lio couldn’t find it in him to trust whatever company wanted the interview. 

_ I can’t let everyone’s pain become sensationalized garbage.  _

But, Galo was so excited about the idea. Lio moved backwards a bit and curled in on himself.

He felt lost — cold and alone. 

After a long moment, Lio quietly got up from the bed, careful not to wake Galo. He quickly changed into warmer clothes — jeans, a big sweater, and a hoodie of Galo’s that he was pretty sure Galo had never worn.

With one last look at Galo’s sleeping form, Lio pulled the bedroom door closed and crept out of the apartment.

Despite the layers Lio wore, the night air chilled him deep inside. He walked along dark side streets, keeping away from the lights and noises of humanity. Further and further away.

He wove through an abandoned neighborhood, turning different corners at random. This area seemed pretty structurally sound, but as Lio continued on, he realized it was one of the areas with a water main break. A  _ big _ water main break. The road was flooded over, seeping into nearby buildings. There was no real way around, so Lio hopped through a huge, broken window into one of the buildings and tried his best not to soak his boots.

Treading lightly, Lio took in as much of his surroundings as he could see in the dark. It had been thoroughly looted, but it was a storefront of some type. Lio continued further into the store. Smashed-up glass display cases lined the back end of the storefront — Lio guessed it had been a jewelery store. 

He nearly slipped on an unseen piece of glass, hidden by the shallow lake the storefront had become. His heart skipped a beat, but he managed to catch his balance and right himself before he fell.

With a relieved sigh, Lio continued his aimless search. Unsurprisingly, there was no jewelery left. Nothing interesting behind the counters, either. Just a soggy cardboard cutout to advertise  _ something _ . Whatever it had been was now unreadable, ink smeared like a modern art piece.  _ Maybe I should take this back with me and submit it to an art museum. _ Lio exhaled a quiet laugh, amused at the idea.

Finding nothing else of interest, Lio decided he should stop snooping and get back outside. He walked towards the storefront window to see if he could gauge the time. No luck. It was still dark, Lio figured he could sneak back to Galo’s before he woke up. 

He readied himself to go back outside, finding the spot with the least amount of glass to step over. He stepped forward to plant one foot in place, and lost his footing.

Trying to catch himself, Lio reached out blindly at the windowsill. There was a stabbing pain in his arm, he yanked it down and back toward himself. The pain grew, spreading down his arm.  _ The glass! _ Lio managed to lift his arm off the broken window, catching himself on the floor with his other hand. 

The healing warmth didn’t come.

It just hurt.

Lio sat himself up, ignoring the small stabbing pains in his hand, and watched his arm bleed. He wasn’t going to regenerate. He couldn’t, any more. There was no more fire within him. He was alone, cold and wet and bleeding.

He’d shredded the sleeve of Galo’s hoodie.

Tears welled up and spilled from Lio’s eyes before he could even try to stop them.

A cry tore its way out of his throat, and he wailed out years of hurt.

Years of hiding, running, being treated as inhuman. Years of loneliness, with little but his flame to keep him company. Years of fear — fear of others, fear of becoming close to others. Even Meis and Gueira were kept at an arm’s length for so long. They’d become so precious to him, irreplaceable in his life. Galo too. Lio realized he was  _ still _ keeping Galo at a distance, even after all they’d experienced together. The physical distance was closing, but Lio still kept his emotions behind walls of ice.

_ This time, I need to start melting the ice on my own. _ Lio decided. He wiped at his tears, but they were only replaced with a different warm wetness. Lio pulled his hand away from his cheek and realized it had been bleeding too, small cuts from when he’d landed. 

“Meis and Gueira are gonna kill me.” Lio groaned, glaring at his wounds. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i like to think of this chapter as a backwards letter J :')


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> another warning for injury in this chapter!
> 
> and a little bit of side-galo in this one too, hehe

As Lio trekked to Meis and Gueira’s apartment, the sun came up. The gentle colors of sunrise overhead as Lio tried his best to cover his wound with his shredded sleeves — stained a dark, deep red.

It wasn’t as bad as it looked, maybe. Hopefully.

Lio tried to push any worry away, but he really had no idea how to tell the severity of an injury.

“Meis and Gueira are gonna kill me.” Lio repeated, pulling his sleeves a bit tighter over the wound. It was a long walk, and Lio wished he could ride to the apartment. His Burnish armor and motorcycle — Detroit — had always been there whenever he needed. He briefly considered stealing one, but quickly decided that it was a horrible idea. Not okay, as well as a waste of time and energy.

Plus, control was an issue. He still wouldn’t be able to get there as fast as he wanted.

-

He’d gone out on a call with Burning Rescue, someone crashed into a potentially unstable building and hadn’t come out. They’d arrived on the scene as quickly as possible, and ensured the building was safe to enter. Ignis had blocked the doorway with a _“One moment.”_ Lio had protested until someone inside gave the go-ahead, and Ignis let him in. Smashed into the far wall as a four-wheeler, with a barely-conscious Gueira doubled over the handlebars. 

Lio didn’t remember what anyone else said or did for the next few moments, just running up to Gueira and trying desperately to find out if he was going to be okay. They’d both been confused as to why Gueira wasn’t healing, until realizing, yet again, it was an ability they’d only had as Burnish.

Then, Gueira said a couple stupid things. _‘Well, this is embarrassing.’ ‘Turns out you can’t just floor it the whole time with regular ones.’_ and, lastly, _‘Meis is gonna kill me.’_

Lio had scoffed and rolled his eyes at that. If he could talk like that, he was just fine. Gueira agreed with him, and escaped the building before Burning Rescue could try to convince him to go to the emergency room.

He hadn’t been. 

Meis had noticed he was off, but had no idea what was going on. Then, Gueira disappeared for almost an entire day. He’d come home late in the evening with a paper, some bandages, and a few bottles of pills. Meis and Lio both were relieved to see him back. 

Gueira had gone to the emergency room after all, to find out he’d broken a couple ribs, and gotten an infection from a large cut that had gone unnoticed by everyone in Burning Rescue, due to its location. The emergency room nurse had put the fear of God — or, the fear of germs — into him, and he’d been insanely careful about treating even the smallest of wounds ever since.

-

Finally arriving at the apartment, Lio was sure Gueira would be able to help him. He banged on the door loudly, enough to ensure they would wake up and hear him. 

Lio heard the deadbolt click, and the door opened to reveal a groggy and confused Meis, who stepped aside and let Lio in without hesitation.

“Sorry to wake you, is Gueira home too?” 

“Yeah.” Meis nodded. “Is everything okay, Boss? You look _exhausted._ ”

Lio tentatively held out his injured arm. The bleeding had stopped some time ago, and now parts of the sleeve were stuck in the dried blood.

Meis paled. “I’ll get him.” He turned and rushed into their bedroom, returning shortly after with a worried-looking Guiera.

Gueira ushered Lio into the bathroom and onto the toilet seat, while he dug out a first aid kit.

“What happened?” 

“Glass.” Lio winced a bit as he pulled his sleeve from the scab.

“And how come you came to us, instead of the trained professionals you work with?” Gueira raised an eyebrow, knowing there was much more to it than _glass_.

Lio breathed deeply, exhaling with a sigh. “I snuck out of Galo and I’s room last night. Went on a walk.”

“Just a casual walk in the middle of the night?” Gueira pressed gently, as he carefully washed the cut, freeing still-trapped cotton fibers.

“I was stressed out.” Lio admitted. “I’ve…done this a couple times. Feels a bit better if I can move around, I guess.”

Gueira nodded. “It’s hard having to find things to do, when you can’t just _burn_ any more. Well, you could. But it’s not the same.”

“Is everything going alright with Burning Rescue still?” Meis leaned in the doorframe, watching Gueira apply antiseptic.

“Yeah, it’s just…so different.” Lio sighed.

“You sound like you could use a day off!” Guiera looked up at Lio and grinned, then began placing butterfly closures over the wound. 

“A day off..? What do you mean?” 

“We can take you around, let you take your mind off things.” Meis offered. 

“Yeah! Whadd’ya say, Boss?” Gueira glanced at Lio as he cut a strip of gauze.

Lio thought quietly as Gueira wrapped his arm in medical tape. 

“Yeah, I think a day off would be good.” He nodded. 

“Hell yeah!” Meis cheered. 

“We’ll get ya feelin’ better in no time!” 

“Thanks, you guys.” Lio smiled fondly.

“Aw, Boss, don’t thank us yet!” Gueira took Lio’s hand and checked it for glass splinters. Satisfied, he quickly cleaned and bandaged it up as well.

“I’ll thank you whenever I want.” Lio’s smile became teasing.

“That’s why you’re the boss!” Meis laughed. “Go ahead and wash up, we’ll find you a different shirt to wear.”

Lio nodded, glad to wash the dried tears and blood off of himself. Meis and Gueira quickly made him change, and dragged him out the door to their motorcycles. They sped off into the city, Lio already loving the wind in his hair.

Lio didn’t go back to Burning Rescue that morning. Galo had woken when Lio left in the night, but pretended to stay asleep. He figured, that if Lio wanted privacy badly enough that he’d wait until Galo was asleep, he definitely didn’t want to talk.

Galo couldn’t help worrying, though. Lio had seemed guarded since he joined with Burning Rescue, increasingly cagey as things went on. Even though they’d become physically closer…

By mid-afternoon, Galo was just about at his limit.

“Could you quit pacing, already?” Remi sighed. “You’re going to wear a hole into the floor.”

“I can’t help it!” Galo lamented. “I just — he didn’t say anything before he left, I don’t know where he is, or what’s going on, or anything!”

“You can take the day off, Galo.” Ignis said cooly, glancing across the room at him.

“Really?! Thank you, Captain!” Galo scrambled to get his things together. “I’m gonna go find him!”

“I don’t want to be all negative, but what if Lio doesn’t want found?” Lucia asked, slouched over the back of her desk chair.

“I can’t let myself think about that.” Galo admitted. “Not yet, at least.”

“Alright.” Lucia nodded. “Bring him back, then. I’ve got some new things I want you guys to test for me!”

“I will!” Galo grinned. “Thanks.” He quickly got to his motorcycle and took off into the city, completely unsure where to start.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> listen it might seem weird to have gueira be the one to mother-hen about injuries, but i really feel like he'd be the first to get injured ok, so,


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> almost done, my dudes!!!

By late evening, Lio was completely exhausted. True to their word, Meis and Gueira really did make Lio feel better — he hadn’t realized just how badly he’d needed to unwind. But, his sleepless night and long day caught up to him.

Meis was kind enough to take a detour to his apartment first, to let Lio take the ruined sweater and hoodie back with him; and then dropped Lio off outside of Galo’s apartment. Lio could see from outside that the lights were on, but he was too tired to acknowledge the anxiety churning in his stomach.

He took a deep breath, and opened the door.

Galo sat alone at the kitchen table, head in hands — until he heard Lio step inside. He jumped up, nearly knocking his chair over.

“Lio?!” 

He looked exhausted. Lio froze, trying to come up with something,  _ anything _ to say.

“I’m sorry, I ruined your hoodie.”

“Huh?” Galo gazed at Lio in confusion for a moment. “What- That’s- That doesn’t even matter!”

“I shouldn’t have taken it, I don’t even know why I did.” 

“Lio!” Galo put his hands on Lio’s shoulders. Lio stiffened. “You just…left. I didn’t know what was going on at all!”

“Me neither…” Lio mumbled. He was done, too exhausted to try navigating the conversation any more. He leaned forward, head against Galo’s chest.

“What?! Are you okay?” Galo pulled Lio back a bit, trying to get a good look at him. 

“I’m tired…”

“We can go to bed in a minute, that’s fine… But can you at least tell me where you were?”

“I went on a walk, and then I had to go to Meis and Guiera’s, and then they took me around all day. All over.”

“You  _ had to _ ?” Galo asked. He let Lio lean into his chest again.

“I had to.” Lio repeated. Galo was so warm, so safe. He was so tired.

“Will you tell me why tomorrow?”

“Okay.”

“Promise?”

“I promise.”

Finally, Galo relented and let Lio flop down onto their bed. He was vaguely aware of Galo laying down next to him, after he’d gotten ready for bed himself. Then, Lio quickly drifted off into sleep.

Lio woke late in the morning, feeling well-rested. Galo wasn’t in the bed next to him, so he quickly got up to find him. 

It wasn’t a long search, Galo was sat on the couch, doing something on his phone. Lio wasn’t sure what to do, how to start the conversation he _ knew _ they were going to have.

He settled on “Thanks for letting me sleep in.”

Galo turned his head and smiled warmly at Lio. “I could tell you really needed it.”

Lio nodded, standing nervously on the border between hallway and living room. 

“Can I ask you something?” Galo asked, scratching his head. “Well, I have a lot of questions, actually.”

Lio nodded again, wondering which  _ something _ was coming first.

“What’s in the bag?” Galo pointed next to the apartment door. Lio didn’t even remember setting it down last night, he’d been so fatigued.

“Clothes.” Lio swallowed. “I’m- I ruined one of your hoodies, I’m sorry. I don’t think it’s fixable.”

“Oh, that’s okay!” Galo handwaved Lio’s apology. He started to look concerned. “What happened, though?”

For a split second, Lio forgot that Galo couldn’t see his hands — Meis’ jacket was way too long, its sleeves covered his hands past his fingertips.

“I left, the other night. I went on a walk.”

“I know.” Galo said with full seriousness. “I know you’ve done it a couple times.”

Lio's blood froze like ice in his veins. "You knew?" He didn’t bother trying to lie, he  _ knew _ he could only go on like that for so long. He knew Galo would figure it out.

Galo scratched the back of his head nervously. "I wanted to give you some privacy, y'know? You’ve been staying here in close quarters with people you basically used to fight against. Realized you probably needed a little space." 

"Then why ask me about it now?" Lio weakly attempted a glare. It probably ended up being more of a pout, it was impossible to  _ actually _ be angry at Galo’s apparent concern. 

“Because you were gone for an entire day, I was worried!” Galo’s tone was sincere, his expression and posture open - willing to listen, to understand. To help.

Lio resisted the urge to dive into Galo’s embrace. Not here, not yet.

“Take me for a ride. Around town.” Lio cautiously took Galo’s hand in his, knowing Galo could feel the medical tape. He lead Galo to the garage. “I’ll direct, but you can drive.”

“You don’t wanna drive?” 

Lio hesitated for a moment. “Can we switch partway through?”

“Yeah, of course!” Galo said enthusiastically, and Lio couldn’t help but smile up at him. 

“Alright, let’s go!” Lio felt a bit more lighthearted already. The two got on Galo’s motorcycle and took off, Galo’s strong arms wrapped around Lio’s tiny waist. Somehow it felt good, right. 

Lio expertly drove through the streets, dodging and weaving through areas that hadn’t been cleaned up yet. His offroad experience from his time as a Burnish took over, muscle memory helping him along.

Lio pointed to his right. “Climbed that.” It was the first chunk of building that he’d climbed, the first night he’d snuck out. 

He continued on, pointing the second structure he’d climbed, only slowing a bit to make sure Galo got a decent look at it. He stopped in front of the flooded street with the flooded jewelery store, and pointed it out. 

“That’s where I ended up the other night, inside that building.” Lio murmured.

“Did you hurt yourself in there?”

“Huh?” Lio whipped his head around in surprise. “How’d..?”

“Your hand is bandaged, and last night you said you  _ had _ to visit Meis and Guiera.”

“Oh, yeah.” Lio nodded. “Not just my hand, in all honesty. Please don’t freak out.”

Galo’s eyes widened as Lio pulled up his sleeve, revealing his bandaged forearm.

“The floor inside is flooded, I fell.” Lio explained. 

Galo wrapped his arms tighter around Lio, rested his head on Lio’s shoulder.

“It’s okay.” He murmured gently.  _ So gently. _

“Galo..?”

“That was a really bad night, right?” Galo asked, “Getting injured like that…it must have been horrible! I’m so sorry you were alone when it happened.” 

Warmth curled in Lio’s chest; and tears stung at his eyes as they tried to form, but he blinked them away.

“Take me outside of town? Somewhere nice.”

“For sure!” Galo nodded. He’d been very quiet other than the last stop, but as they switched spots on the motorcycle; Lio found that he couldn’t find any other differences between Galo’s normal and current demeanors. Lio wasn’t sure if that was a good sign or not.

Galo took Lio down a long, winding road bordered by trees. Lio briefly wondered if they were near the formerly frozen lake, but then decided not to think on it. He closed his eyes, focusing instead on how nice the fresh air felt, how good it felt to hold Galo. He re-adjusted his grip and scooted forward a bit, leaning fully on Galo's back. 

He could think and worry when Galo stopped. 

He did, eventually. 

They’d stopped at an overlook of sorts, a small dirt parking area lined with pine trees and signs for a couple hiking trails. Lio hopped off and stood silent, anxiously looking off at the scenery - away from where Galo stood.

"I always wonder what you're thinking about, when you look off like that." Galo broke the silence. "You look so distant that I can't read you." 

Lio turned to Galo in surprise, then composed himself. "That's the point." 

"You don't want me to know how you're doing?" Galo tilted his head. He looked like a giant puppy when he did that. 

"I…" Lio trailed off. "I don't know." 

Galo tilted his head the other way, eyebrow cocked in confusion.  _ Cute… He's so cute - no. Focus.  _

There was a long moment of silence between the two. Lio crouched down and looked at the ground, not wanting to meet Galo's eyes. 

"It's scary." 

Lio braved a glance up at Galo's face, and his heart dropped. Galo looked… upset? Why was he upset? 

"Do you not want me to care about you?" Galo's tone was so soft, far more gentle than Lio had ever heard him sound.

Lio's eyes widened, and  _ affection _ flared up powerfully inside him. "Care..?" He repeated. 

Some warmth returned to Galo's eyes, and he threw his arms around Lio in a bear hug. "Yes! I care about you, Lio! I want to be here for you." 

Lio stiffened. Overwhelmed by the sudden contact and his own affection, his mind spun out.

Galo's hold started to loosen, he was letting go.  _ No… Don't go..! _ Lio dove into Galo's retreating embrace, returning the it the best he could. 

"I care about you too, Galo Thymos." He murmured, just barely loud enough for Galo to hear. 

Galo's hold tightened again, and Lio could almost feel how elated he was — or maybe it was his own feelings. Hearing and saying this out loud was a relief, a release. 

"Lio, I think I love you." 

"…I think I love you too." 

Galo picked Lio up and spun him, grinning like the adorable idiot he is. Lio laughed in elation — he felt weightless, his emotions soaring as much as he was.

"You're amazing!" Galo cheered as he brought Lio back down to the ground. 

" _ You're _ amazing… I'm sorry I disappeared and made you worry." 

"You needed space to think things over, though, right?" Galo asked. 

Lio thought his reply through, not wanting to say anything the wrong way. "Yeah. I think…sometimes I just need some time by myself. I'll try to get better at letting you know what's going on…" 

"I'll get better about asking if you need that time by yourself." Galo smiled. "That's a promise!" 

"Mine's a promise too." Lio returned the smile. "I'll try not to…get scared and withdraw so completely." 

It was going to be a long road while they both adjusted to each other, but they both knew they could do it. It would still be scary, but now they knew how much help a clear statement of care could be. 

Lio wasn't really alone, even if life felt quieter without his flame. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this is technically the end, but there will...be an epilogue. :)


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry for the long wait on the final chapter! you know how it's been

Lio woke early in the morning, to find his heat source gone. As comfortable as he was, it wasn’t warm enough any more. He stretched and dragged himself out of bed, pulled one of Galo’s hoodies on, and left their bedroom.

“You didn’t wake me.” Lio grumbled, wrapping his arms around Galo’s waist from behind.

“Oh! Good morning, Lio!” Galo turned around and smiled broadly. “I was gonna try to make breakfast before you woke up.”

“You know I wake up right after you.”

“Well, yeah, but I got pretty far this time!” Galo gestured at the stove. “See? Almost done.”

“You win this time, Galo Thymos.” Lio smiled and tilted his face upwards. Galo leaned down and accepted his prize in the form of a gentle kiss.

“No way I’d lose to you, Firebug.” Galo pulled away with a fond smile. “Go sit, it’s almost done.”

“I’m going, I’m sitting.” Lio seated himself with mock exasperation.

“Good! Breakfast is…ready!” Galo quickly plated two omelets, and set one in front of Lio with a flourish.

“Thank you.” Lio suppressed a laugh at Galo’s showiness, then began his meal.

Galo ate quickly, then rushed around the apartment as he got ready for work.

“I’ll see you tomorrow!” Galo stopped for a goodbye kiss on his way out.

“Be safe.”

“Of course!”

Lio watched Galo leave the apartment, listened for the click to make sure he’d remembered to lock the door, then yawned as he slowly finished his breakfast. The day stretched ahead of him, only one thing on his schedule. He was nervous, but he refused to let it get the best of him. 

Instead, he pulled his hair back and busied himself cleaning the apartment. The afternoon drew closer, and he quickly showered and dressed, in some of his nicer clothes. He grabbed his helmet, his keys, and headed out.

It was still a bit strange not having a full connection to his bike, but it still felt so freeing to ride one. It had been gifted to him recently by Meis and Guiera, who refused to say how they got it.

It was not a cheap bike.

Lio parked on the curb outside one of many office buildings and took a deep breath to steel himself. Then, he walked in for his meeting.

He’d set it up a couple weeks ago, finally. Lawyered up and spoken to that news company. They’d verbally agreed to his terms, agreeing to the interviews so long as he would see and approve of the final videos before they were released. The lawyer, of course, was to ensure nothing was changed on the physical contract.

It went smoothly, contract signed, dates set aside for prep, interviewing, and whatever else was needed before it would be sent for approval.

Lio was relieved, though the impending filming was nerve-wracking in its own right. But, it was nowhere near the scariest thing he’d experienced. He knew he could do it, and he knew it would end up being a great help for how the general public viewed the ex-Burnish. 

His true, final act as boss.

That was a nice thing to think about.

The night passed slowly, Lio taking forever to fall asleep without Galo’s body heat. He automatically woke early, though, and tiredly went about his morning routine.

Mid-morning, the lock clicked and Galo came inside, looking as haggard as he always did from 24 hours on call.

“Welcome home, Galo.”

Galo blinked owlishly, then broke into a grin. “I’m home!”

“Do you want breakfast, or is it time for bed?”

“Bed.”

Lio nodded, and the two settled into bed for a long nap. Lio wrapped his arms around Galo from behind, still preferring to be the ‘big spoon’. 

He felt so, so lucky that he’d met Galo — that Galo cared for him the same way he did for Galo. They became more comfortable with each other with every passing day. Displaying care became less scary and more natural.

Lio drifted off to sleep with his love, a peaceful smile on his face.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thank you so, so much for reading! i hope you enjoyed :)

**Author's Note:**

> thank you for reading! i've got most of this written out, so hopefully wait between chapters should be short 
> 
> if you're interested, i'm on [twitter!](https://twitter.com/strawberiglitch)


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